View source for Wesley Clark

{{Short description|United States Army general and 2004 Democratic Party presidential candidate}}
{{about|the United States Army general and presidential candidate|the computer scientist|Wesley A. Clark}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2024}}{{Use American English|date = October 2019}}

{{Infobox military person
| name          = Wesley Clark
| image         = General Wesley Clark official photograph, edited.jpg
| caption       = Official portrait, {{circa|1997–2000}}
| birth_date    = {{birth date and age|1944|12|23|df=y}}
| death_date    = 
| birth_place   = [[Chicago]], [[Illinois]], U.S.
| death_place   = 
| birth_name    = Wesley J. Kanne
| allegiance    = {{flagu|United States|1960}}
| branch        = {{army|United States}}
| serviceyears  = 1966–2000
| rank          = {{Dodseal|USAO10-2015|25}} [[General (United States)|General]]
| commands      = [[Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe|Supreme Allied Commander Europe]]<br/>[[United States European Command]]<br/>[[United States Southern Command]]
| battles       = {{tree list}}
*[[Cold War]]
**[[Vietnam War]]
*[[Yugoslav Wars]]
**[[Kosovo War]]
***[[Battle of Košare]]
***[[Battle of Paštrik]]
***[[NATO bombing of Yugoslavia]]
{{tree list/end}}
| awards        = ''[[List of awards and nominations received by Wesley Clark|See all]]''
| spouse        = {{marriage|Gertrude Kingston|1967}}
| alma_mater    = [[United States Military Academy]] ([[Bachelor of Science|BS]])<br />[[Magdalen College, Oxford]] ([[Bachelor of Arts|BA]])<br />[[U.S. Army Command and General Staff College]] ([[Master of Military Art and Science|MMAS]])
| signature     = Wesley Clark signature.gif
| website       = {{URL|https://wesleykclark.com/}}
}}

'''Wesley Kanne Clark''', [[Silver Star|SSM]], [[Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany|BVO]], [[The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire|KBE]] (born '''Wesley J. Kanne''', 23 December 1944) is a retired [[United States Army]] officer. He graduated as [[valedictorian]] of the class of 1966 at [[United States Military Academy|West Point]] and was awarded a [[Rhodes Scholarship]] to the [[University of Oxford]], where he obtained a degree in [[Philosophy, Politics and Economics]]. He later graduated from the [[Command and General Staff College]] with a master's degree in [[military science]]. He commanded an infantry company in the [[Vietnam War]], where he was shot four times and awarded a [[Silver Star]] for gallantry in combat. Clark served as the [[Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe|Supreme Allied Commander Europe]] of [[NATO]] from 1997 to 2000, commanding [[1999 NATO bombing of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia|Operation Allied Force]] during the [[Kosovo War]]. He spent 34 years in the U.S. Army, receiving many [[Awards and decorations of the United States military|military decorations]], several honorary [[knight]]hoods, and the [[Presidential Medal of Freedom]].

In 2003, Clark [[Wesley Clark 2004 presidential campaign|launched his candidacy]] for the [[2004 Democratic Party presidential primaries]]. After winning only the [[2004 Oklahoma Democratic presidential primary|Oklahoma state primary]], he withdrew from the race in February 2004, endorsing and campaigning for the eventual Democratic nominee, [[John Kerry]]. Clark leads a [[political action committee]], "WesPAC", which he formed after the 2004 primaries<ref name="SA">{{cite web|url=http://www.securingamerica.com/ |title=WesPAC&nbsp;– Securing America |access-date=2 November 2006 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060922201804/http://securingamerica.com/ |archive-date=22 September 2006 }}</ref><ref name="SAHistory">{{cite web|url=http://securingamerica.com/history|title=WesPAC History|access-date=2 November 2006|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061104082551/http://securingamerica.com/history <!--Added by H3llBot-->|archive-date=4 November 2006}}</ref> and used to support Democratic Party candidates in the [[2006 United States general elections|2006 midterm elections]].<ref name="SA61">{{cite web|url=http://securingamerica.com/taxonomy/term/61|title=List of all endorsed candidates|publisher=Securing America|access-date=16 November 2006|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061104083231/http://securingamerica.com/taxonomy/term/61 <!--Added by H3llBot-->|archive-date=4 November 2006}}</ref> Clark was considered a potential candidate for the [[Official and potential 2008 United States presidential election Democratic candidates|Democratic nomination in 2008]], but, on 15 September 2007, endorsed Senator [[Hillary Clinton]].<ref>{{cite news|title=Wesley Clark Endorses Hillary Clinton|last= Fouhy|first=Beth|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/09/15/AR2007091500788.html|agency=Associated Press|date=16 September 2007|access-date=18 December 2007 | newspaper=The Washington Post}}</ref> After Clinton dropped out of the presidential race, Clark endorsed the then-presumptive Democratic nominee, [[Barack Obama]].<ref name="endorseobama">{{cite news|title=Unite Behind Barack Obama| last= Clark|first=Wesley|url=http://securingamerica.com/node/2947|publisher=Securing America|date=6 June 2008|access-date=19 June 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080615140942/http://securingamerica.com/node/2947 <!--Added by H3llBot-->|archive-date=15 June 2008}}</ref>

Clark has his own consulting firm, Wesley K. Clark and Associates, and is chairman and CEO of Enverra, a licensed boutique investment bank.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Enverra - Always Invested|url=http://enverra.com/#leadership|access-date=2020-10-02}}</ref> He has worked with over 100 private and public companies on energy, security, and financial services. Clark is engaged in business in [[North America]], [[Africa]], [[Europe]], the [[Middle East]], [[Latin America]] and [[Asia]]. Between July 2012 and November 2015, he was an honorary special advisor to Romanian prime minister [[Victor Ponta]] on economic and security matters.<ref>[http://www.gov.ro/press-statements-by-pm-victor-ponta-and-general-wesley-k-clark-appointed-as-special-adviser-to-prime-minister-on-security-and-economic-strategy__l2a117598.html Press statements by PM Victor Ponta and General Wesley K. Clark appointed as Special Adviser to Prime Minister on security and economic strategy matters, at the end of the Executive meeting] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121024231403/http://www.gov.ro/press-statements-by-pm-victor-ponta-and-general-wesley-k-clark-appointed-as-special-adviser-to-prime-minister-on-security-and-economic-strategy__l2a117598.html |date=24 October 2012 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.romania-insider.com/retired-us-general-wesley-clark-becomes-an-adviser-to-romanias-pm-victor-ponta/60392/|title=Retired US General Wesley Clark becomes an adviser to Romania's PM Victor Ponta|work=Romania-Insider.com|access-date=17 August 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120814084625/http://www.romania-insider.com/retired-us-general-wesley-clark-becomes-an-adviser-to-romanias-pm-victor-ponta/60392/|archive-date=14 August 2012|url-status=dead}}</ref>

==Early life and education==
Clark's father's family was [[American Jews|Jewish]]; his paternal grandparents, Jacob Kanne and Ida Goldman, [[Immigration to the United States|immigrated]] to the United States from [[History of the Jews in Belarus|Belarus]], then part of the [[Russian Empire]],<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=DJ94AAAAMAAJ&q=%22Ida+Goldman%22+Clark|title = Wesley K. Clark: A Biography|isbn = 9781557046253|last1 = Felix|first1 = Antonia|date = 19 May 2004| publisher=HarperCollins }}</ref> in response to the [[Pale of Settlement]] and [[Antisemitism|anti-Jewish]] violence from [[Russian Empire|Russian]] [[pogrom]]s. Clark's father, Benjamin Jacob Kanne, graduated from the [[Chicago-Kent College of Law]] and served in the [[United States Navy Reserve|U.S. Naval Reserve]] as an [[Ensign (rank)#United States|ensign]] during World War I, although he never participated in combat. Kanne, living in [[Chicago]], became involved with [[Wards of the United States|ward politics]] in the 1920s as a prosecutor and served in local offices. He served as a delegate to the [[1932 Democratic National Convention]] that nominated [[Franklin D. Roosevelt]] as the party's presidential candidate<ref>Felix, Antonia, ''Wesley Clark: A Biography''. Newmarket Press; New York, 2004. pp. 7–9.</ref> (though his name does not appear on the published roll of convention delegates).  His mother was of [[English American|English]] ancestry and was a Methodist.<ref>Official Report of the Proceedings of the Democratic National Convention, held at Chicago, Illinois, 27 June to 2 July, inclusive, 1932</ref>

Kanne came from the [[Kohen]] family line,<ref>Felix, pp. 12–3.</ref> and Clark's son has characterized Clark's parents' marriage, between his [[Methodism|Methodist]] mother, Veneta (née Updegraff), and his Jewish father, Benjamin Jacob Kanne,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.clark04.com/about/ |title=Clark 2004 biography |publisher=Clark04.com |access-date=15 August 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081026152910/http://www.clark04.com/about/ |archive-date=26 October 2008 }}</ref> as "about as multicultural as you could've gotten in 1944".<ref name="AmerSon">''[http://a471.g.akamai.net/7/471/9997/v0001/clark.download.akamai.com/9997/preview/AmericanSon_hi.wmv American Son] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110811012446/http://a471.g.akamai.net/7/471/9997/v0001/clark.download.akamai.com/9997/preview/AmericanSon_hi.wmv |date=August 11, 2011 }}'' by Linda Bloodworth. Produced by Linda Burstyn, Cathee Weiss and Douglas Jackson; edited by Gregg Featherman.</ref>

Clark was born '''Wesley J. Kanne''' in Chicago on 23 December 1944.<ref>{{cite news |title=Nominations Before the Senate Armed Services Committee, Second Session, 103d Congress: Hearings Before the Committee on Armed Services, United States Senate |volume=103 |issue=873 |pages=477–479 |date=1994 |publisher=U.S. Government Printing Office |location=Washington, D.C. |isbn=9780160463860}}</ref> His father Benjamin died on 6 December 1948; his mother then moved the family to [[Little Rock, Arkansas]]. The move was made to escape the cost of living in the city of Chicago, for the support Veneta's family in Arkansas could provide, and her feeling of being an outsider to the religion of the Kanne family.<ref>Felix, pp. 14–5.</ref> Once in Little Rock, Veneta married Victor Clark, whom she met while working as a secretary at a bank.<ref>Felix, p. 22.</ref> Victor raised Wesley as his son, and officially [[adoption|adopted]] him on Wesley's 16th birthday. Wesley's name was changed to Wesley Kanne Clark. Victor Clark's name actually replaced that of Wesley's biological father on his [[birth certificate]], something Wesley would later say that he wished they had not done.<ref>Felix, p. 25.</ref> Veneta raised Wesley without telling him of his Jewish ancestry to protect him from the anti-Jewish activities of the [[Ku Klux Klan]] in the southern U.S.<ref>Felix pp. 16–7.</ref> Although his mother was Methodist, Clark chose a [[Baptist]] church after moving to Little Rock and continued attending it throughout his childhood.<ref>Felix, p. 21.</ref>

He graduated from [[Hall High School (Arkansas)|Hall High School]] with a [[National Merit Scholarship Program|National Merit Scholarship]]. He helped take their swim team to the state championship, filling in for a sick teammate by swimming two legs of a [[relay race|relay]].<ref>Felix, p. 41.</ref><ref>Felix, p. 52.</ref> Clark has often repeated the [[anecdote]] that he decided he wanted to go to [[United States Military Academy|West Point]] after meeting a [[Officer Cadet#United States|cadet]] with glasses who told Clark (who wore glasses as well) that one did not need [[visual acuity|perfect vision]] to attend West Point as Clark had thought.<ref name="AmerSon"/><ref>Felix, p. 49.</ref> Clark applied, and he was accepted on 24 April 1962.<ref>Lambert, J. C., MajGen. "Letter of Acceptance to West Point Military Academy." Letter to Wesley J. Clark. 24 April 1962.</ref>

==Military career==
[[File:West Point Acceptance Letter.gif|200px|thumb|Clark's acceptance letter from [[United States Military Academy|West Point]]]]
Clark's military career began 2 July 1962, when he entered the [[United States Military Academy]] at [[West Point, New York]]. He later said that [[Douglas MacArthur]]'s famous "[[s:Duty, honor, country|Duty, honor, country]]" speech was an important influence on his view of the military. The speech was given to the class of 1962 several months before Clark entered West Point, but a recording was played for his class when they first arrived.<ref name="AmerSon"/><ref name="westpoint">Felix, pp. 54–68.</ref>

Clark sat in the front in many of his classes, a position held by the highest performer in class. Clark participated heavily in [[debate]], was consistently within the top 5% of his class as a whole (earning him  "Distinguished Cadet" stars on his uniform) and graduated as [[valedictorian]] of his class. The valedictorian is allowed to choose their career specialty in the Army, and Clark selected [[armoured forces|armor]]. He met Gertrude Kingston (whom he later married) at a [[United Service Organizations|USO]] dance for [[Midshipman#United States Naval and Merchant Marine Academies|midshipmen]] and West Point cadets.<ref name="AmerSon"/><ref name="westpoint"/>

Clark applied for a [[Rhodes Scholarship]] during his senior year at West Point, and learned in December 1965 that he had been accepted. He spent his summer at the [[United States Army Airborne School]] at [[Fort Benning]], Georgia. He completed his master's degree in [[Philosophy, Politics, and Economics]] (PPE) at [[Magdalen College, Oxford|Magdalen College]] at the University of Oxford in August 1968. While he was at Oxford, a Jewish cousin of Clark's who lived in England telephoned him and informed him of his Jewish heritage, having received permission from Veneta Clark. Clark spent three months after graduation at [[Fort Knox]], Kentucky, going through the Armor Officer Basic Course, then went on to [[Ranger School]] at Fort Benning. He was promoted to [[Captain (U.S. Army)|captain]] and was assigned as commander of the A [[company (military unit)|Company]] of the 1st Battalion, [[63rd Armor Regiment|63rd Armor]], [[24th Infantry Division (United States)|24th Infantry Division]] at [[Fort Riley]], [[Kansas]].<ref>Felix, pp. 69–80.</ref>

===Vietnam War===
[[File:Silver Star Citation.gif|thumb|Clark's [[Silver Star]] citation]]
Clark was assigned to the [[1st Infantry Division (United States)|1st Infantry Division]] and flew to [[Vietnam]] in July 1969, during the U.S. involvement in the [[Vietnam War]]. He worked as a staff officer, collecting data and helping in operations planning, and was awarded the [[Bronze Star Medal|Bronze Star]] for his work with the staff. Clark was then given command of A Company, 1st Battalion, [[16th Infantry Regiment (United States)|16th Infantry]] of the 1st Infantry Division in January 1970. In February, only one month into his command, he was shot four times by a [[Viet Cong]] soldier with an [[AK-47]]. The wounded Clark shouted orders to his men, who counterattacked and defeated the Viet Cong force. Clark had injuries to his right shoulder, right hand, right hip, and right leg, and was sent to [[Valley Forge General Hospital|Valley Forge Army Hospital]] in [[Phoenixville, Pennsylvania]], to recuperate. He was awarded the [[Silver Star]] and the [[Combat Infantryman Badge]] for his actions during the encounter.<ref>Felix, pp. 80–4.</ref>

Clark converted to Catholicism, his wife Gertrude's religion, while in Vietnam. He saw his son, Wesley Clark, Jr., for the first time while at the [[Valley Forge Hospital]].<ref>Felix, pp. 85–7.</ref> Clark commanded C Company, 6th Battalion, 32nd Armor, [[194th Armored Brigade (United States)|194th Armored Brigade]], a company composed of wounded soldiers,<ref>Felix, p. 84.</ref> at Fort Knox. Clark has said this command is what made him decide to continue his military career past the eight-year commitment required by West Point, which would have concluded in 1974. Clark completed his Armor Officer Advanced Course while at Fort Knox, taking additional elective courses and writing an article that won the Armor Association Writing Award. His next posting was to the office of the [[Chief of Staff of the United States Army|Army Chief of Staff]] in Washington, D.C., where he worked in the "[[Modern Volunteer Army]]" program from May to July 1971. He then served as an instructor in the Department of Social Sciences at West Point for three years from July 1971 to 1974.<ref name="confirmbio">Detailed resume included with his nomination before the Senate Armed Services Committee, First Session, 105th Congress. 9 July 1997.</ref><ref>Felix, pp. 88–95.</ref>

Clark graduated as the Distinguished Graduate and [[George C. Marshall Award]] winner from the [[Command and General Staff College]] (CGSC), earning his military Master of Arts degree in [[military science]] from the CGSC with a thesis on American policies of [[gradualism]] in the Vietnam War. Clark's theory was one of applying force swiftly to achieve escalation dominance, a concept that would eventually become established as U.S. national security policy in the form of the [[Weinberger Doctrine]] and its successor, the [[Powell Doctrine]]. Clark was promoted to [[major (United States)|major]] upon his graduation from the CGSC.<ref>Felix, pp. 95–7.</ref>

===Post-Vietnam War===
In 1975, Clark was appointed a [[White House Fellows|White House Fellow]] in the [[Office of Management and Budget]] (OMB) as a special assistant to its director, [[James Thomas Lynn]]. He was one of 14 appointed out of 2,307 applicants.<ref>"White House Assigns Fellow to OMB Office," ''Arkansas Democrat-Gazette'', 29 June 1975.</ref> Lynn also gave Clark a six-week assignment to assist [[John Otho Marsh, Jr.|John Marsh]], then a counselor to the president. Clark was approached during his fellowship to help push for a memorial to Vietnam veterans. He worked with the movement that helped lead to the creation of the [[Vietnam Veterans Memorial]] in Washington, D.C. Clark served in two commands with the [[1st Armored Division (United States)|1st Armored Division]] based in Germany from August 1976 to February 1978, first as S-3 of the 3rd Battalion, [[35th Armor Regiment|35th Armor]] and then as S-3 for 3rd Brigade.<ref name="confirmbio"/> Clark's brigade commander while in the former position said Clark was "singularly outstanding, notably superb". He was awarded the [[Meritorious Service Medal (United States)|Meritorious Service Medal]] for his work with the division.{{fact|date=August 2025}}

The brigade commander had also said that "word of Major Clark's exceptional talent spread", and in one case reached the desk of then [[Supreme Allied Commander]] [[Alexander Haig]]. Haig personally selected Clark to serve as a special assistant on his staff, a post he held from February 1978 to June 1979. While on staff at [[Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe]] (SHAPE), Clark wrote policy reports and coordinated two multinational military exercises. As a result of his work on Haig's staff, Clark was promoted to [[Lieutenant colonel (United States)|lieutenant colonel]] and was awarded the [[Legion of Merit]]. After his European post, he moved on to [[Fort Carson|Fort Carson, Colorado]], where he served first as the executive officer of the 1st Brigade, [[4th Infantry Division (United States)|4th Infantry Division]] from August 1979 to February 1980, then as the commander of the [[77th Armor Regiment (United States)|1st Battalion, 77th Armor]], 4th Infantry Division from February 1980 to July 1982. According to the American journalist [[David Halberstam]], the commander at Fort Carson, then Major General John Hudachek, had a reputation of disliking West Point graduates and fast-rising officers such as Clark.<ref>Felix, p. 105. "The commander at Fort Carson, Gen. John Hudachek, had a well-known aversion to West Point cadets and fast-risers like Clark. Even though Clark made quick and outstanding progress with the armor unit, Hudachek expressed his attitude towards Clark by omitting him from a list of battalion commanders selected to greet a congressional delegation visiting the base." [[Colin Powell]] also ran afoul of Maj. Gen. Hudachek—see Colin Powell, ''My American Journey''.</ref><ref>''War in a Time of Peace: Bush, Clinton, and the Generals'', by David Halberstam, New York: Simon & Schuster, 2001, pp. 432–33.</ref> Still, Clark was selected first in his year group for full colonel and attended the [[National War College]] immediately after his battalion command. Clark graduated in June 1983, and was promoted to full [[colonel (United States)|colonel]] in October 1983.<ref name="confirmbio"/><ref>Felix, pp. 102–10.</ref>

[[File:Wesley Clark 1star portrait.JPG|thumb|left|upright|Portrait of Brigadier General Clark as a commander at Fort Irwin]]
Following his graduation, Clark worked in Washington, D.C., from July 1983 to 1984 in the offices of the [[Chief of Staff of the United States Army|Chief and Deputy Chiefs of Staff of the United States Army]], earning a second Legion of Merit for his work. He then served as the Operations Group commander at the [[Fort Irwin Military Reservation]] from August 1984 to June 1986. He was awarded another Legion of Merit and a [[Meritorious Service Medal (United States)|Meritorious Service Medal]] for his work at Fort Irwin and was given a brigade command at Fort Carson in 1986. He commanded the 3rd Brigade, [[4th Infantry Division (United States)|4th Infantry Division]] there from April 1986 to March 1988. Veneta Clark, Wesley's mother, died of a heart attack on [[Mother's Day]] in 1986. Regarding his term as brigade commander, one of his battalion commanders called Clark the "most brilliant and gifted officer [he'd] ever known".<ref>Felix, pp. 97–102.</ref> After Fort Carson, Clark returned to the Command and General Staff College to direct and further develop the [[Mission Command Training Program|Battle Command Training Program (BCTP)]] there until October 1989. The BCTP was created to use escalation training to teach senior officers war-fighting skills, according to the commanding general at the time. On 1 November 1989, Clark was promoted to [[Brigadier General#United States|brigadier general]].<ref name="confirmbio"/><ref>Felix, pp. 110–16.</ref>

Clark returned to Fort Irwin and commanded the [[Fort Irwin Military Reservation|National Training Center]] (NTC) from October 1989 to 1991. The [[Gulf War]] occurred during Clark's command, and many [[United States National Guard|National Guard]] divisional round-out brigades trained under his command. Multiple generals commanding American forces in [[Iraq]] and [[Kuwait]] said Clark's training helped bring about results in the field and that he had successfully begun training a new generation of the military that had moved past Vietnam-era strategy. He was awarded another Legion of Merit for his "personal efforts" that were "instrumental in maintaining" the NTC, according to the citation. He served in a planning post after this, as the deputy chief of staff for concepts, doctrine, and developments at [[United States Army Training and Doctrine Command|Training and Doctrine Command]] (TRADOC) at [[Fort Monroe|Fort Monroe, Virginia]]. While there, he helped the commanding general of TRADOC prepare the army for war and develop new post-[[Cold War]] strategies. Clark pushed for technological advancement in the army to establish a [[computer network|digital network]] for military command, which he called the "digitization of the battlefield".<ref>"Digitization: Key to Landpower Dominance," by Wesley Clark for ''Army'' magazine, November 1993.</ref> He was promoted to [[Major General#United States|major general]] in October 1992 at the end of this command.<ref name="confirmbio"/><ref>Felix, pp. 116–20.</ref>

====Fort Hood====
Clark's divisional command came with the [[1st Cavalry Division (United States)|1st Cavalry Division]] at [[Fort Hood]], Texas. Clark was in command during three separate deployments of forces from Fort Hood for peacekeeping in Kuwait.

[[File:Wesley Clark USSOUTHCOM.JPEG|thumb|upright|Clark assumed command of USSOUTHCOM in June 1996]]
His Officer Evaluation Report (OER) for his command at Fort Hood called him "one of the Army's best and brightest".<ref>Felix, p. 122</ref> Clark was awarded the [[Distinguished Service Medal (U.S. Army)|Distinguished Service Medal]] for his work at Fort Hood and was promoted to [[Lieutenant general (United States)|lieutenant general]] at the end of his command in 1994. Clark's next assignment was an appointment as the Director, Strategic Plans and Policy (J5), on the staff of the [[Joint Chiefs of Staff]] (JCS), from April 1994 to June 1996.<ref name="confirmbio" /><ref>Felix, pp. 120–22.</ref> In this position, he helped develop and coordinate world-wide US military policy and strategy. He participated with [[Richard Holbrooke]] in the [[Dayton Agreement|Dayton Peace Process]], which ended the [[Bosnian War|Bosnian war]] in former Yugoslavia. During this period, he also participated in "back-stopping" nuclear negotiations in Korea, planning the restoration of democracy in [[Haiti]], shifting the [[United States Southern Command]] headquarters from [[Panama]] to [[Miami]], imposing tougher restrictions on [[Saddam Hussein]], rewriting the [[National Military Strategy (United States)|National Military Strategy]], and developing Joint Vision 2010 for future US war-fighting.<ref>{{Cite web|title=CEO|url=http://wesleykclark.com/about/|access-date=2020-10-02|language=en-US}}{{Dead link|date=August 2025 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>

====United States Southern Command====
Army regulations set a so-called "ticking clock" upon promotion to a three-star general, essentially requiring that Clark be promoted to another post within two years from his initial promotion or retire.<ref>Felix, p. 131</ref><!-- The average tour length for three-star positions are three years depending on the position.--> This deadline ended in 1996 and Clark said he was not optimistic about receiving such a promotion because rumors at the time suggested General [[Dennis Reimer]] did not want to recommend him for promotion although "no specific reason was given".<ref name="wmr68">Clark, ''Waging'', p. 68.</ref> According to Clark's book, General [[Robert H. Scales]] said that it was likely Clark's reputation for intelligence was responsible for feelings of resentment from other generals. Clark was named to the [[United States Southern Command]] (USSOUTHCOM) post despite these rumors. Congress approved his promotion to full [[general (United States)|general]] in June 1996, and General [[John M. Shalikashvili]] signed the order. Clark said he was not the original nominee, but the first officer chosen "hadn't been accepted for some reason".<ref name="wmr68"/><ref>Felix, pp. 131–34.</ref>

===Balkans===

====Bosnia and Herzegovina====
{{See also|War in Bosnia and Herzegovina|Dayton Agreement}}
Clark began planning work for responses to the [[war in Bosnia and Herzegovina]] upon his appointment in 1994 as the Director, Strategic Plans and Policy (J5) on the JCS staff. While collecting information to outline military options for resolving the conflict, Clark met with [[Army of Republika Srpska|Bosnian Serb military]] leaders including [[Ratko Mladić]], who was later accused of [[war crime]]s and [[genocide]]. Clark was photographed exchanging hats with Mladić, and the photo drew controversy in the United States. A ''[[The Washington Post|Washington Post]]'' story was published claiming Clark had made the visit despite a warning from the [[Ambassadors from the United States|U.S. ambassador]].<ref>Clark, ''Waging'', p. 38</ref> Some [[Bill Clinton|Clinton administration]] members privately said the incident was "like cavorting with [[Hermann Göring]]".<ref>[http://www.zpub.com/un/Clark's%20Military%20Record.htm Clark's Military Record] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060830152013/http://www.zpub.com/un/Clark%27s%20Military%20Record.htm |date=30 August 2006 }} by KATHARINE Q. SEELYE and ERIC SCHMITT for ''The New York Times'' on 20 September 2003. Retrieved 3 February 2007.</ref> Clark listed the visit in the itinerary he submitted to the ambassador, but he learned only afterwards that it was not approved. He said there had been no warning and no one had told him to cancel the visit, although two [[United States Congress|Congressmen]] called for his dismissal regardless. Clark later said he regretted the exchange,<ref name="confirm">Nominations before the Senate Armed Services Committee, First Session, 105th Congress. 9 July 1997.</ref> and the issue was ultimately resolved as President Clinton sent a letter defending Clark to Congress and the controversy subsided.<ref>Felix, pp. 125–126.</ref> Clark said it was his "first experience in the rough and tumble of high visibility&nbsp;... and a painful few days".<ref>Clark, ''Waging'', p. 40.</ref> [[Conservatism in the United States|Conservative]] pundit [[Robert Novak]] later referred to the hat exchange in a column during Clark's 2004 presidential campaign, citing it as a "problem" with Clark as a candidate.<ref>[https://archive.today/20120912165400/http://www.townhall.com/columnists/RobertDNovak/2003/09/22/the_trouble_with_wes The Trouble with Wes] by Robert Novak on Townhall.com on 22 September 2003. Retrieved 2 February 2007.</ref>

Clark was sent to Bosnia by [[United States Secretary of Defense|Secretary of Defense]] [[William J. Perry|William Perry]] to serve as the military member to a diplomatic negotiating team headed by assistant Secretary of State [[Richard Holbrooke]]. Holbrooke later described Clark's position as "complicated" because it presented him with future possibilities but "might put him into career-endangering conflicts with more senior officers".<ref>''To End a War'' by Richard Holbrooke, New York: Random House, 1999, p. 9.</ref> While the team was driving along a mountain road during the first week, the road gave way, and one of the vehicles fell over a cliff carrying passengers including Holbrooke's deputy, [[Robert Frasure]], a deputy assistant Secretary of Defense, Joseph Kruzel, and [[United States Air Force|Air Force]] [[Colonel (United States)|Colonel]] Nelson Drew. Following funeral services in Washington, D.C., the negotiations continued and the team eventually reached the [[Dayton Agreement]] at the [[Wright-Patterson Air Force Base]] in [[Dayton, Ohio]], and later signed it in Paris on 14 December 1995.<ref>Felix, pp. 126–29</ref>

Clark returned to the European theater and the Balkans following his [[United States Southern Command|USSOUTHCOM]] position when he was appointed to [[United States European Command|U.S. European Command]] in the summer of 1997 by President Clinton. He was, as with SOUTHCOM, not the original nominee for the position. The Army had already selected another general for the post. Because President Clinton and General Shalikashvili believed Clark was the best man for the post, he eventually received the nomination. Shalikashvili noted he "had a very strong role in [Clark's] last two jobs".<ref>"Wesley K. Clark, A Candidate in the Making, Part 2: An Arkansas Alliance and High-Ranking Foes" by Michael Kranish for ''Boston Globe'' on 17 November 2003.</ref> Clark noted during his confirmation hearing before the [[United States Senate Committee on Armed Services|Senate Armed Services committee]] that he believed [[NATO]] had shifted since the end of the [[Cold War]] from protecting Europe from the [[Soviet Union]] to working towards more general stability in the region. Clark also addressed issues related to his then-current command of USSOUTHCOM, such as support for the [[Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation|School of the Americas]] and his belief that the United States must continue aid to some South American nations to effectively fight the [[war on drugs]].<ref name="confirm"/> Clark was quickly confirmed by a [[voice vote]] the same day as his confirmation hearing,<ref>Nomination: PN382-105 on 9 July 1997. Retrieved 14 December 2006 from [http://www.thomas.gov/ Thomas.gov] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060929022433/http://www.thomas.gov/ |date=29 September 2006 }}</ref> giving him the command of 109,000 American troops, their 150,000 family members, 50,000 civilians aiding the military, and all American military activities in 89 countries and territories of Europe, Africa, and the Middle East.<ref>Felix, p. 137.</ref> The position made Clark the [[Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe|Supreme Allied Commander Europe]] (SACEUR), which granted him overall command of NATO military forces in Europe.

====Kosovo War====
{{See also|Kosovo War|1999 NATO bombing of Yugoslavia}}

The largest event of Clark's tenure as SACEUR was NATO's confrontation with the [[Federal Republic of Yugoslavia]] in the [[Kosovo War]]. On 22 September 1998, the [[United Nations Security Council]] introduced [[United Nations Security Council Resolution 1199|Resolution 1199]] calling for an end to hostilities in [[Kosovo]], and Richard Holbrooke again tried to negotiate a peace. This process came to an unsuccessful end, however, following the [[Račak massacre]]. Then U.S. Secretary of State [[Madeleine Albright]] tried to force Yugoslavia into allowing separation of Kosovo with the [[Rambouillet Agreement]], which Yugoslavia refused. Clark was not at the Rambouillet talks. He separately tried to convince Yugoslavian president [[Slobodan Milošević]] by telling him "there's an activation order. And if they tell me to bomb you, I'm going to bomb you good." Clark later alleged that Milošević launched into an emotional tirade against [[Albanians]] and said that they'd been "handled" in the 1940s by [[ethnic cleansing]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/kosovo/interviews/clark.html |title=Interview with Wesley Clark for PBS ''Frontline'' |publisher=PBS |access-date=15 August 2011}}</ref><ref>Felix, pp. 138–40.</ref>

[[File:Clark briefs NATO May 9.JPEG|thumb|Clark briefs U.S. aircraft mechanics [[Help:Category|Categories]] from the 510th and 555th Fighter Squadrons at [[Aviano Air Base]], Italy in May 1999]]

On orders from President Clinton, Clark started the bombings codenamed [[1999 NATO bombing of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia|Operation Allied Force]] on 24 March 1999, to try to enforce U.N. Resolution 1199 following Yugoslavia's refusal of the Rambouillet Agreement. However, critics note that Resolution 1199 was a call for cessation of hostilities and did  not authorize any organization to take military action. US Secretary of Defense [[William Cohen]] felt that Clark had powerful allies at the [[White House]], such as President Clinton and Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, who allowed him to circumvent the Pentagon in promoting his strategic ideas. Clark felt, however, that he was not being included enough in discussions with the [[National Command Authority (United States)|National Command Authority]], leading him to describe himself as "just a NATO officer who also reported to the United States".<ref>Clark, ''Waging'', p. 342.</ref> This command conflict came to a ceremonial head when Clark was initially not invited to a summit in Washington, D.C., to commemorate NATO's 50th anniversary, despite being its supreme military commander. Clark eventually secured an invitation to the summit, but was told by Cohen to say nothing about ground troops, and Clark agreed.<ref>Clark, ''Waging'', p. 269.</ref>

[[File:Flagloweredinrespect.jpg|thumb|U.S. Marines at the United States consulate-general in Hong Kong lower the American flag out of respect for the 1999 Chinese embassy bombing victims<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.usconsulate.org.hk/kosovo/statement.htm|title=Statements on NATO Bombing of China's Embassy in Belgrade|access-date=4 October 2006|author=Consulate General of the United States Hong Kong & Macau|author-link=Consul (representative)|date=2 August 1999|publisher=U.S. Department of State|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19991013201236/http://www.usconsulate.org.hk/kosovo/statement.htm|archive-date=13 October 1999}}</ref>]]

Clark returned to SHAPE following the summit and briefed the press on the continued bombing operations. A reporter from the ''[[Los Angeles Times]]'' asked a question about the effect of bombings on Serbian forces, and Clark noted that merely counting the number of opposing troops did not show Milošević's true losses because he was bringing in reinforcements. Many American news organizations capitalized on the remark in a way Clark said "distorted the comment" with headlines such as "NATO Chief Admits Bombs Fail to Stem Serb Operations" in ''[[The New York Times]]''. Clark later defended his remarks, saying this was a "complete misunderstanding of my statement and of the facts," and President Clinton agreed that Clark's remarks were misconstrued. Regardless, Clark received a call the following evening from [[Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff]] General [[Hugh Shelton]], who said he had been told by Secretary Cohen to deliver a piece of guidance verbatim: "Get your fucking face off the TV. No more briefings, period. That's it."<ref>Clark, ''Waging'', p. 273.</ref><ref>Felix, pp. 140–43.</ref>

The bombing campaign received criticism when it [[NATO bombing of the Radio Television of Serbia headquarters|bombed the Radio Television of Serbia headquarters]] on 23 April 1999. The attack which killed sixteen civilian employees was labeled as a war crime by [[Amnesty International]]<ref>{{cite web| publisher= Amnesty International| url= https://www.amnesty.org/en/news-and-updates/news/no-justice-victims-nato-bombings-20090423| title= No justice for the victims of NATO bombings| date= 23 April 2009| access-date= 18 February 2013}}</ref> and as an act of [[terrorism]] by [[Noam Chomsky]].<ref>{{cite news|last1=Chomsky|first1=Noam|title=Chomsky: Paris attacks show hypocrisy of West's outrage|url=https://edition.cnn.com/2015/01/19/opinion/charlie-hebdo-noam-chomsky/|publisher=CNN|date=19 January 2015}}</ref> NATO expressed its justification for the bombing by saying that the station operated as a propaganda tool for the Milošević regime.<ref>{{cite news| url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/1616461.stm | work=BBC News | title=Nato challenged over Belgrade bombing | date=24 October 2001}}</ref> Operation Allied Force experienced another problem when [[US bombing of the People's Republic of China embassy in Belgrade|NATO bombed the Chinese embassy in Belgrade]] on 7 May 1999. The operation had been organized against numerous Serbian targets, including "Target 493, the Federal Procurement and Supply Directorate Headquarters", although the intended target building was actually 300 meters away from the targeted area. The embassy was located at this mistaken target, and three Chinese journalists were killed. Clark's intelligence officer called Clark taking full responsibility and offering to resign, but Clark declined, saying it was not the officer's fault. Defense Secretary Cohen and [[Director of the Central Intelligence Agency|CIA Director]] [[George Tenet]] took responsibility the next day. Tenet would later explain in testimony before the [[United States House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence]] on 22 July 1999, that the targeting system used street addresses, which gave inaccurate positions for air bombings. He also said that the various databases of off-limit targets did not have the up-to-date address for the relatively new embassy location.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.fair.org/index.php?page=1766 |title=U.S. Media Overlook Expose on Chinese Embassy Bombing |publisher=Fair.org |access-date=15 August 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cia.gov/cia/public_affairs/speeches/1999/dci_speech_072299.html |title=DCI Statement on the Belgrade Chinese Embassy Bombing House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence Open Hearing |access-date=4 October 2006 |last=Tenet |first=George |author-link=George Tenet |date=22 July 1999 |publisher=Central Intelligence Agency |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061004025533/https://www.cia.gov/cia/public_affairs/speeches/1999/dci_speech_072299.html |archive-date=4 October 2006 }}</ref><ref>Clark, ''Waging'', pp. 296–97.</ref>

The bombing campaign ended on 10 June 1999, on the order of [[Secretary General of NATO]] [[Javier Solana]] after Milošević complied with conditions the international community had set and Yugoslav forces began to withdraw from Kosovo.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nato.int/kosovo/press/p990610b.htm |title=Press Briefing by Javier Solana |publisher=Nato.int |date=10 June 1999 |access-date=15 August 2011}}</ref> [[United Nations Security Council Resolution 1244]] was adopted that same day, placing Kosovo under United Nations administration and authorizing a [[Kosovo Force|Kosovo peacekeeping force]].<ref>[http://www.nato.int/kosovo/docu/u990610a.htm Resolution 1244] adopted by the United Nations Security Council on 10 June 1999.</ref> NATO suffered no combat deaths,<ref name="roblect">[http://lisd.princeton.edu/sites/lisd/files/Roberts_Lecture.pdf The Impact of the Laws of War in Contemporary Conflicts] (PDF) by Adam Roberts on 10 April 2003 at a seminar at Princeton University titled "The Emerging International System&nbsp;– Actors, Interactions, Perceptions, Security". Retrieved 25 January 2007.</ref> although two crew members died in an [[AH-64 Apache|Apache helicopter]] crash.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/335709.stm |title=Two die in Apache crash |work=BBC News |date=5 May 1999 |access-date=15 August 2011}}</ref> A [[Lockheed F-117 Nighthawk|F-117A]] [[1999 F-117A shoot-down|was downed]] near the village of [[Buđanovci|Budjanovci]]. The bombing resulted in an estimated 495 civilian deaths and 820 wounded, as reported to the [[International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia]].<ref>International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia, Final Report to the Prosecutor by the Committee Established to Review the NATO Bombing Campaign Against the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, para. 53. Available on the ICTY website. Also published in 39 International Legal Materials 1257–83 (2000).</ref> Yugoslavia estimated that the number of civilians killed is higher than 2,000 and that more than 5,000 have been wounded.<ref>{{cite news|title=Ubijeno više od 2.000 civila, više od 5.000 ranjeno|url=http://arhiva.glas-javnosti.rs/arhiva/1999/06/10/glavne-vesti.html|work=[[Glas Javnosti]]|date=10 June 1999|access-date=24 March 2007|language=sr}}</ref> [[Human Rights Watch]] estimates the number of civilian deaths due to NATO bombings as somewhere between 488 and 527.<ref>[https://www.hrw.org/reports/2000/nato/index.htm#TopOfPage Civilian Deaths in the NATO Air Campaign] by Human Rights Watch in February 2000. Retrieved 3 February 2007.</ref>

Milošević's term in office in Yugoslavia was coming to an end, and the elections that came on 24 September 2000, were protested due to allegations of fraud and rigged elections. This all came to a head on 5 October in the so-called [[Overthrow of Slobodan Milošević|Bulldozer Revolution]]. Milošević resigned on 7 October. The [[Democratic Opposition of Serbia]] won a majority in [[2000 Serbian parliamentary election|parliamentary elections]] that December. Milošević was taken into custody on 1 April 2001, and transferred to the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia on 28 June to face charges of war crimes and genocide. Clark was called to testify in a closed session of Milošević's trial in December 2003. He testified on issues ranging from the [[Srebrenica massacre]] to conversations Clark had had with Milošević during his career.<ref>Felix, p. 152.</ref> Some anti-war activist groups also label Clark and Bill Clinton (along with several others) as war criminals for NATO's entire bombing campaign, saying the [[Legitimacy of NATO bombing of Yugoslavia|entire operation was in violation of the NATO charter]].{{Citation needed|date=January 2022}}

====Incident at Pristina airport====
{{Main|Incident at Pristina airport}}
One of Clark's most controversial decisions during his SACEUR command was his attempted operation at [[Pristina International Airport|Priština International Airport]] immediately after the end of the Kosovo War. Russian forces had arrived in Kosovo and were heading for the airport on 12 June 1999, two days after the bombing campaign ended, expecting to help police that section of Kosovo. Clark, on the other hand, had planned for the [[Kosovo Force]] to police the area. Clark called then-Secretary General of NATO, [[Javier Solana]], and was told "of course you have to get to the airport" and "you have transfer of authority" in the area.

The British commander of the Kosovo Force, General [[Mike Jackson (British Army officer)|Mike Jackson]], however, refused to allow the British forces led by Captain [[James Blunt]] to block the Russians through military action saying "I'm not going to start the [[Third World War]] for you."<ref>{{cite news |last=Grice |first=Elizabeth |date=1 September 2007 |title=General Sir Mike Jackson speaks out |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1561897/General-Sir-Mike-Jackson-speaks-out.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220112/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1561897/General-Sir-Mike-Jackson-speaks-out.html |archive-date=12 January 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |newspaper=[[The Daily Telegraph]] |access-date=15 August 2011}}{{cbignore}}</ref><ref>[https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00vv121 "James Blunt, General Sir Mike Jackson; Nov 14, 10"], BBC "Pienaar's Politics" (long audio file)</ref><ref name=blunt /> Jackson has said he refused to take action because he did not believe it was worth the risk of a military confrontation with the Russians, instead insisting that troops encircle the airfield. The stand-off lasted two weeks. Russian forces continued to occupy the airport, until eventually an agreement was secured for them to be integrated into peace-keeping duties, while remaining outside of NATO command.<ref name=blunt>{{cite web|url=http://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/news/how-james-blunt-saved-us-from-world-war-3-2134203.html|title=How James Blunt saved us from World War 3|date=15 November 2010|website=The Independent}}</ref>

Jackson's refusal was criticized by some senior U.S. military personnel, with General [[Hugh Shelton]] calling it "troubling". During hearings in the [[United States Senate]], Senator [[John Warner]] suggested that the refusal might have been illegal, and that if it was legal, rules potentially should be changed.<ref>{{cite news |last=Becker |first=Elizabeth |author-link=Elizabeth Becker (journalist) |date=10 September 1999 |title=U.S. General Was Overruled in Kosovo |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1999/09/10/world/us-general-was-overruled-in-kosovo.html |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |access-date=11 May 2015}}</ref> Still, British [[Chief of the Defence Staff (United Kingdom)|Chief of the Defence Staff]] [[Charles Guthrie, Baron Guthrie of Craigiebank|Charles Guthrie]] agreed with Jackson.<ref>[https://www.pbs.org/newshour/conversation/jan-june01/clark_06-15.html Online Newshour: Waging Modern War] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101128232228/http://www.pbs.org/newshour/conversation/jan-june01/clark_06-15.html |date=28 November 2010 }} interview by Margaret Warner for PBS on 15 June 2001. Retrieved 3 February 2007.</ref> Clark was subsequently ordered to step down from his position two months earlier than expected.<ref>{{cite news|last=Tran|first=Mark|date=2 August 1999|title="I'm not going to start Third World War for you," Jackson told Clark|newspaper=[[The Guardian]]|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/1999/aug/02/balkans3|access-date=4 May 2019}}</ref> Jackson continued his career after the Pristina Incident: He was appointed [[Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath]] (1998), received the [[Distinguished Service Order]] (1999), became [[Commander-in-Chief, Land Command]] (2000), and finally, in 2003, [[Chief of the General Staff (United Kingdom)|Chief of the General Staff]], the highest position in the British Army.

===Retirement===
Clark received another call from General Shelton in July 1999 in which he was told that Secretary Cohen wanted Clark to leave his command in April 2000, less than three years after he assumed the post. Clark was surprised by this, because he believed SACEURs were expected to serve at least three years.<ref>Clark, ''Waging'', p. 408.</ref> Clark was told that this was necessary because General [[Joseph Ralston]] was leaving his post as the [[Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff]] and would need another 4-star command within 60 days or he would be forced to retire. Ralston was not going to be appointed [[Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff]] due to an extramarital affair in his past, and the SACEUR position was said to be the last potential post for him.<ref>[http://www.cnn.com/US/9706/09/ralston.update/index.html Ralston withdraws name from consideration] by [[Wolf Blitzer]] and Carl Rochelle on 9 June 1997. Retrieved 3 March 2007.</ref> Clark said this explanation "didn't wash"; he believed the legal issues did not necessarily bar him from a full term.<ref>Clark, ''Waging'', p. 409.</ref> Clinton signed on to Ralston's reassignment, although [[David Halberstam]] wrote that the president and Madeleine Albright were angered at Clark's treatment. Clark spent the remainder of his time as SACEUR overseeing peacekeeper forces and, without a new command to take, was forced into retirement from the military on 2 May 2000.<ref>[http://www.nato.int/shape/bios/saceur/ralston.htm Ralston's bio] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110926220510/http://www.nato.int/shape/bios/saceur/ralston.htm |date=26 September 2011 }} from the NATO website. Last updated 20 January 2003. When Ralston is listed as taking the USEUCOM position (2 May 2000) Clark no longer has a command.</ref><ref>Felix, pp. 147–50.</ref>

Rumors persisted that Clark was forced out due to his contentious relationship with some in Washington, D.C.; however, he has dismissed such rumors, calling it a "routine personnel action". The Department of Defense said it was merely a "general rotation of American senior ranks".<ref>{{cite news|url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/407040.stm |title=Nato commander denies snub |work=BBC News |date=29 July 1999 |access-date=15 August 2011}}</ref> However, a NATO ambassador told the ''[[International Herald Tribune]]'' that Clark's dismissal seemed to be a "political thing from the United States".<ref>[http://www.iht.com/articles/1999/07/29/clark.2.t_0.php General's Early Exit Upsets NATO] by Joseph Fitchett for the ''International Herald Tribune'' on 29 July 1999. Retrieved 3 February 2007.</ref> General Shelton, working for the competing presidential campaign of [[John Edwards]] in 2003–2004,<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2003-dec-07-op-arkin7-story.html|title=The General Unease With Wesley Clark|first=William|last= Arkin|newspaper=[[Los Angeles Times]]|date=7 December 2003|access-date=27 October 2011}}</ref> said of Clark during his 2004 campaign that "the reason he came out of Europe early had to do with integrity and character issues, things that are very near and dear to my heart. I'm not going to say whether I'm a [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]] or a [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democrat]]. I'll just say Wes won't get my vote."<ref>[http://www.losaltosonline.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=12066&Itemid=47 Gen. Shelton shocks Celebrity Forum, says he won't support Clark for president] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110721035234/http://www.losaltosonline.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=12066&Itemid=47 |date=21 July 2011 }} by Joan Garvin on 24 September 2003. Retrieved 1 December 2008.</ref> Shelton never elaborated further on what these issues were.<ref>Felix, p. 202.</ref>

==Civilian career==
Clark was chairman of the investment bank Rodman Renshaw, which filed for bankruptcy. The bank's questionable practices and Clark's direct role were detailed in the hit documentary film ''[[The China Hustle]]''.<ref>{{cite news | newspaper=The New York Times | last=Kenigsberg | first=Ben | date=29 March 2018 | title=Review: 'The China Hustle' Warns of Dicey Investments | url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/29/movies/the-china-hustle-review.html}}</ref> 
Clark began a [[public speaker|public speaking tour]] in the summer of 2000 and approached several former government officials for advice on work after life in government, including [[Speaker of the United States House of Representatives|House Speaker]] [[Newt Gingrich]], [[White House Chief of Staff]] [[Mack McLarty]], and [[Richard Holbrooke]]. Clark took McLarty's advice to move back to [[Little Rock, Arkansas]], and took a position with [[Stephens Inc.]], an investment firm headquartered there. He took several other board positions at defense-related firms, and in March 2003 he amicably left Stephens Inc to found Wesley K. Clark & Associates. Clark wrote two books, ''Waging Modern War'' and ''Winning Modern Wars''. He also authored [[foreword]]s for a series of military biographies and a series of editorials.<ref name="SA"/> In 2021 he published the academic article "Hybrid Warfare and the Challenge of Cyberattacks" in ''The Challenge to NATO: Global Security and the Atlantic Alliance''.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Clark |first=Westley |chapter=Hybrid Warfare and the Challenge of Cyberattacks |title=The challenge to NATO: Global security and the Atlantic alliance |date=2021 |editor=Michael O. Slobodchikoff |editor2=G. Doug Davis |editor3=Brandon Stewart |isbn=978-1-64012-498-1 |publisher=University of Nebraska Press |oclc=1266643958}}</ref>

Clark had amassed only about $3.1&nbsp;million towards his $40&nbsp;million goal by 2003, and he began considering running for public office instead of pursuing his business career.<ref>Felix, pp. 154–73.</ref>

Clark is also a member of the [[Atlantic Council]]'s board of directors.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/about/board-of-directors/|title=Board of Directors|website=Atlantic Council|access-date=11 February 2020}}</ref>

===2004 presidential campaign===
{{Main|Wesley Clark 2004 presidential campaign}}
{{See also|2004 Democratic Party presidential primaries|2004 United States presidential election}}
Clark has said that he began to truly define his politics only after his military retirement and the [[2000 United States presidential election|2000 presidential election]], won by [[George W. Bush]]. Clark had a conversation with [[Condoleezza Rice]] in which she told him that the war in Kosovo would not have occurred under Bush. Clark found such an admission unsettling, as he had been selected for the SACEUR position because he believed more in the [[interventionism (politics)|interventionist]] policies of the Clinton administration. He said he would see it as a sign that things were "starting to go wrong" with American foreign policy under Bush.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://stacks.msnbc.com/news/934709.asp?cp1=1 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030807175900/http://stacks.msnbc.com/news/934709.asp?cp1=1 |archive-date=7 August 2003 |title=The Last Word: Wesley Clark |date=7 August 2003 |access-date=15 August 2011}}</ref> Clark supported the administration's [[War in Afghanistan (2001–present)|War in Afghanistan]] in response to the [[September 11 attacks|9/11 attacks]] but did not support the [[Iraq War]].

Clark met with a group of wealthy New York Democrats including [[Alan Patricof]] to tell them he was considering running for the presidency in the 2004 election. Patricof, a supporter of [[Al Gore]] in 2000, met with all the Democratic candidates but supported Clark in 2004. Clark said that he voted for Al Gore and [[Ronald Reagan]], held equal esteem for [[Dwight D. Eisenhower]] and [[Harry S. Truman]], and was a registered [[Independent (United States)|independent]] voter throughout his military career. Clark stated that he decided he was a Democrat because "I was pro-affirmative action, I was pro-choice, I was pro-education&nbsp;... I'm pro-health care&nbsp;... I realized I was either going to be the loneliest Republican in America or I was going to be a happy Democrat."<ref>"In His Own Words". ''The Washington Post'', 19 October 2003.</ref> Clark said he liked the Democratic party, which he saw as standing for "[[internationalism (politics)|internationalism]]", "ordinary men and women", and "fair play".<ref name="drummer">"To Find Party, General Marched to His Own Drummer," ''The New York Times'', 5 October 2003.</ref><ref>Felix, pp. 190–91.</ref>

A "[[draft (politics)|Draft]] Clark" campaign began to grow with the launch of DraftWesleyClark.com on 10 April 2003.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://clark04.com/drafthistory/ |title=Clark bio |access-date=12 May 2017 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20031205012625/http://clark04.com/drafthistory/ |archive-date=5 December 2003 }} from his 2004 campaign site and Clark for President. Clark For President&nbsp;– P.O. Box 2959, Little Rock, AR 72203. This version is from the Internet Archive on 5 December 2003.</ref> The organization signed up tens of thousands of volunteers, made 150 media appearances discussing Clark, and raised $1.5&nbsp;million in [[threshold pledge|pledges]] for his campaign. A different website, DraftClark2004.com, was the first organization to register as a [[political action committee]] in June 2003 to persuade Clark to run. They had presented him with 1,000 emails in May 2003 from throughout the country asking him to run. One of DraftClark2004's founders, Brent Blackaby, said of the draft effort: "Just fifty-two years ago citizens from all over the country were successful in [[Draft Eisenhower|their efforts to draft]] General Eisenhower. We intend to do the same in 2004 by drafting General Clark. If he runs, he wins."<ref name="draftclark04">"Draft Clark 2004 for President Committee Files with FEC," ''US Newswire'', 18 June 2003.</ref><ref>Felix, pp. 191–13.</ref>

In June 2003, Clark said that he was "seriously consider[ing]" running for president in an appearance on ''[[Meet the Press]]''.<ref name="draftclark04"/>
Clark announced his candidacy for the [[Democratic Party (United States) presidential primaries, 2004|Democratic presidential primary elections]] from Little Rock on 17 September 2003, months after the other candidates. He acknowledged the influence of the Draft Clark movement, saying they "took an inconceivable idea and made it conceivable".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://clark04.com/speeches/001/ |title=Clark's Announcement speech in Little Rock |access-date=12 May 2017 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20031008234745/http://clark04.com/speeches/001/ |archive-date=8 October 2003 }} by Wesley K. Clark hosted on Clark04 on 17 September 2003. Retrieved 4 February 2007.</ref> The campaign raised $3.5&nbsp;million in the first two weeks.<ref>"Wesley Clark Raises More than $3.5M in Fortnight," ''Forbes'', 6 October 2003.</ref><ref>Felix, pp. 196–97.</ref> The internet campaign would also establish the Clark Community Network of blogs,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://securingamerica.com/ccn/|author=The Clark Community Network|publisher=Securing America|access-date=29 January 2007|title=Here is the video link of Gen. Clark on MSNBC today|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070112044246/http://securingamerica.com/ccn/ <!--Added by H3llBot-->|archive-date=12 January 2007}}</ref> which remains in use and made heavy use of [[Meetup (website)|Meetup.com]], where DraftWesleyClark.com had established the second-largest community of Meetups at the time.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.grassroots.com/casestudies/draftclark/ |title=Case Studies: Draft Wesley Clark |publisher=Grassroots.com |access-date=15 August 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080603051221/http://www.grassroots.com/casestudies/draftclark/ |archive-date=3 June 2008 }}</ref>

Clark's loyalty to the Democratic Party was questioned by some as soon as he entered the race. Senator [[Joe Lieberman]] called Clark's party choice a matter of "political convenience, not conviction". Republican governor [[Bill Owens (Colorado politician)|Bill Owens]] of [[Colorado]] and [[University of Denver]] president [[Marc Holtzman]] have claimed Clark once said "I would have been a Republican if [[Karl Rove]] had returned my phone calls." Clark later claimed he was simply joking, but both Owens and Holtzman said the remark was delivered "very directly" and "wasn't a joke". Katharine Q. Seelye wrote that many believed Clark had chosen to be a Democrat in 2004 only because it was "the only party that did not have a nominee".<ref name="drummer"/> On 11 May 2001, Clark also delivered a speech to the [[Pulaski County, Arkansas|Pulaski County]] Republican Party in Arkansas saying he was "very glad we've got the great team in office, men like [[Colin Powell]], [[Donald Rumsfeld|Don Rumsfeld]], [[Dick Cheney]], Condoleezza Rice, [[Paul O'Neill (cabinet member)|Paul O'Neill]]—people I know very well—our president George W. Bush".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.factcheck.org/article97.html |title=Was Wesley Clark a Republican? |publisher=Factcheck.org |access-date=15 August 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110610161213/http://www.factcheck.org/article97.html <!--Added by H3llBot--> |archive-date=10 June 2011}}</ref> ''U.S. News & World Report'' ran a story two weeks later claiming Clark had considered a political run as a Republican.<ref>[http://www.laweekly.com/news/the-chameleon-candidate-2137049 The Chameleon Candidate] by Doug Ireland for the ''LA Weekly'' on 25 September 2003. Retrieved 2 February 2007.</ref>

Clark, coming from a non-political background, had no position papers to define his agenda for the public. Once in the campaign, however, several volunteers established a network of connections with the media, and Clark began to explain his stances on a variety of issues. He was, as he had told ''[[The Washington Post]]'' in October, pro-choice and pro-affirmative action. He called for a repeal of recent Bush [[tax cut]]s for people earning more than $200,000 and suggested providing healthcare for the uninsured by altering the current system rather than transferring to a completely new [[universal health care]] system. He backed environmental causes such as promising to reverse "scaled down rules" the Bush administration had applied to the [[Clean Air Act (United States)|Clean Air]] and [[Clean Water Act]]s and dealing with the potential [[effects of global warming]] by reducing greenhouse gas emissions from vehicles, livestock flatulence and other sources. Clark also proposed a global effort to strengthen American relations with other nations, reviewing the [[USA PATRIOT Act|PATRIOT Act]], and investing $100&nbsp;billion in [[homeland security]]. Finally, he released a budget plan that claimed to save $2.35&nbsp;trillion over ten years through a repeal of the Bush tax cuts, sharing the cost of the [[Iraq War]] with other nations, and cutting government waste.<ref>Felix, pp. 197–99.</ref>

Some have speculated that Clark's inexperience at giving "[[soundbite]]" answers hurt him in the media during his primary campaign.<ref>[http://www.democraticunderground.com/articles/04/01/19_clark.html Wesley Clark: Mending our torn country into a nation again] by Jerseycoa on the DemocraticUnderground on 19 January 2004. Retrieved 28 January 2007.</ref> The day after he launched his campaign, for example, he was asked if he would have voted for the Iraq War Resolution, which granted President Bush the power to wage the Iraq War, a large issue in the 2004 campaign. Clark said, "At the time, I probably would have voted for it, but I think that's too simple a question," then "I don't know if I would have or not. I've said it both ways because when you get into this, what happens is you have to put yourself in a position—on balance, I probably would have voted for it." Finally, Clark's [[press secretary]] clarified his position as "you said you would have voted for the resolution as leverage for a UN-based solution." After this series of responses, although Clark opposed the war, ''[[The New York Times]]'' ran a story with the headline "Clark Says He Would Have Voted for War".<ref>"Clark Says He Would Have Voted for War," ''The New York Times'', 19 September 2003.</ref> Clark was repeatedly portrayed as unsure on this critical issue by his opponents throughout the primary season. He was forced to continue to clarify his position and at the second primary debate he said, "I think it's really embarrassing that a group of candidates up here are working on changing the leadership in this country and can't get their own story straight&nbsp;... I would have never voted for war. The war was an unnecessary war, it was an elective war, and it's been a huge strategic mistake for this country."<ref>"Clark Under Sharp Attack in Democratic Debate," ''The Washington Post'', 10 October 2003.</ref>

Another media incident started during the New Hampshire primary 27 September 2003, when Clark was asked by [[Space Shuttle]] astronaut [[Jay C. Buckey]] what his vision for the space program was after the [[Space Shuttle Columbia disaster]]. Clark responded he was a great believer in the exploration of space but wanted a vision well beyond that of a new shuttle or space plane. "I would like to see mankind get off this planet. I'd like to know what's out there beyond the solar system." Clark thought such a vision could probably require a lifetime of research and development in various fields of science and technology. Then at the end of his remarks, Clark dropped a bombshell when he said "I still believe in [[mass-energy equivalence|{{nowrap|''E'' {{=}} ''mc''²}}]]. But I can't believe that in all of human history we'll never ever be able to go beyond the speed of light to reach where we want to go. I happen to believe that mankind can do it. I've argued with physicists about it. I've argued with best friends about it. I just have to believe it. It's my only faith-based initiative."<ref>{{cite web|url = http://www.roswellproof.com/Gen_Wesley_Clark_FTL.html|title = transcript of remarks}}</ref> These comments prompted a series of derisive headlines, such as "Beam Us Up, General Clark" in ''The New York Times'', "Clark is Light-Years Ahead of the Competition" in ''The Washington Post'', "General Relativity (Retired)" on the [[U.S. News & World Report]] website, and "Clark Campaigns at Light Speed" in ''[[Wired (magazine)|Wired]]'' magazine.<ref>Felix, pp. 174–75.</ref><ref>[https://www.wired.com/news/politics/0,1283,60629,00.html Clark Campaigns at Light Speed]  {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081010233519/http://www.wired.com/news/politics/0%2C1283%2C60629%2C00.html |date=10 October 2008 }} by Brian McWilliams on 30 September 2003. Retrieved 28 January 2007.</ref>

[[File:Clark Gert Seattle04.jpg|thumb|Clark ''(center)'' with his wife Gertrude ''(right)'' in [[Seattle]], Washington, on 19 August 2004]]
Several polls from September to November 2003 showed Clark leading the Democratic field of candidates or as a close second to [[Howard Dean]] with the [[The Gallup Organization|Gallup poll]] having him in first place in the presidential race at 20% as late as October 2003.<ref>{{cite news| url=http://www.gallup.com/poll/149990/Cain-Surges-Nearly-Ties-Romney-Lead-GOP-Preferences.aspx | work=Gallup.com | title=Cain Surges, Nearly Ties Romney for Lead in GOP Preferences | access-date=10 October 2011}}</ref> The [[John Edwards]] campaign brought on Hugh Shelton—the general who had said Clark was made to leave the SACEUR post early due to "integrity and character issues"—as an advisor, a move that drew criticism from the Clark campaign.<ref>[http://www.clark04.com/press/release/071/ Clark Communications Director questions John Edwards retaining Hugh Shelton] by Matt Bennett, hosted on Clark04.com on 11 November 2003. Retrieved 2 February 2007. {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080828141249/http://www.clark04.com/press/release/071/ |date=28 August 2008 }}</ref> Since Dean consistently polled in the lead in the [[Iowa caucuses]], Clark opted out of participating in the caucuses entirely to focus on later primaries instead. The [[2004 Iowa Democratic presidential caucuses|2004 Iowa caucuses]] marked a turning point in the campaign for the Democratic nomination, however, as front-runners Dean and [[Dick Gephardt]] garnered results far lower than expected, and [[John Kerry]] and John Edwards' campaigns benefited in Clark's absence. Clark performed reasonably well in later primaries, including a tie for third place with Edwards in the [[2004 New Hampshire Democratic presidential primary|New Hampshire primary]] and a narrow victory in the [[2004 Oklahoma Democratic presidential primary|Oklahoma]] primary over Edwards. However, he saw his third-place finishes in [[2004 Tennessee Democratic presidential primary|Tennessee]] and [[2004 Virginia Democratic presidential primary|Virginia]] as signs that he had lost [[Southern United States|the South]], a focus of his campaign. He withdrew from the race on 11 February 2004, and announced his endorsement of John Kerry at a rally in [[Madison, Wisconsin]], on 13 February.<ref>[http://clark04.com/speeches/044/ Wes Clark Endorses John Kerry] by Wesley Clark on 13 February 2004. Retrieved 2 November 2006. {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051221235709/http://clark04.com/speeches/044/ |date=21 December 2005 }}</ref> Clark believed his opting out of the Iowa caucus was one of his campaign's biggest mistakes, saying to one supporter the day before he withdrew from the race that "everything would have been different if we had [been in Iowa]."<ref>Felix, pp. 203–06.</ref> Clark was reportedly on the shortlist to be Kerry's running mate.<ref name=Slate2004>{{cite news|accessdate=September 24, 2025 |url=https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2004/05/kerry-s-long-shortlist-for-vice-president.html
|title=John Kerry’s Long Shortlist:Who he’ll pick as his running mate and why.
|first=Michael |last=Crowley|date=May 28, 2004}}</ref>

===Post-2004 campaign===
Clark continued to speak in support of Kerry (and the eventual Kerry/Edwards ticket) throughout the remainder of the 2004 presidential campaign, including speaking at the [[2004 Democratic National Convention]] on the final evening.<ref>[https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/mmedia/politics/072904-17v.htm Video of Clark's speech] from ''The Washington Post'' website on 29 July 2004. Retrieved 31 January 2007. [https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/politics/shoulders/dnc_fullschedule.html Full schedule can be seen here].</ref> He founded a [[political action committee]], WesPAC, in April 2004.<ref name="SAHistory"/> [[Fox News Channel]] announced in June 2005 that they had signed General Clark as a military and [[international relations|foreign affairs]] analyst.<ref>[http://www.tvweek.com/news.cms?newsId=8010 Gen. Wesley Clark Joins FNC as Foreign Affairs Analyst] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070426124845/http://www.tvweek.com/news.cms?newsId=8010 |date=26 April 2007 }} from TVWeek by Michele Greppi on 15 June 2005. Retrieved 31 January 2007.</ref> He joined the Burkle Center for International Relations at [[University of California, Los Angeles|UCLA]] as a senior fellow.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.international.ucla.edu/burkle/about/clark.asp |title=UCLA Burkle Center for International Relations |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151017164416/http://www.international.ucla.edu/burkle/about/clark.asp |archive-date=17 October 2015 }}</ref> A managing partner of the companies that support the center, [[Ronald Burkle]], described Clark's position as "illuminat[ing] the center's research" and "teaching [the] contemporary role of the United States in the international community".<ref>[http://www.newsroom.ucla.edu/portal/ucla/Gen-Wesley-Clark-to-Join-UCLA-7338.aspx Gen. Wesley Clark to Join UCLA Burkle Center] for UCLA News by Judy Lin on 16 September 2006. Retrieved 11 May 2008.</ref>

[[File:Wesley Clark UWESA.jpg|thumb|left|upright|A woman holds a Clark sign with one of his 2004 slogans at a [[Ned Lamont]] rally Clark attended in 2006]]

Clark campaigned heavily throughout the [[2006 United States general elections|2006 midterm election campaign]], supporting numerous Democrats in a variety of federal, statewide,<ref name="SA61"/> and state legislature campaigns.<ref>[http://securingamerica.com/taxonomy/term/69 All Endorsed State/Local candidates] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060311073629/http://securingamerica.com/taxonomy/term/69 |date=11 March 2006 }}</ref> Ultimately his PAC aided 42 Democratic candidates who won their elections, including 25 who won seats formerly held by Republicans and 6 newly elected [[veteran]] members of the [[United States House of Representatives|House]] and [[United States Senate|Senate]].<ref>[http://securingamerica.com/node/1927 Time to Lead] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070227231014/http://securingamerica.com/node/1927 |date=27 February 2007 }}</ref> Clark was the most-requested surrogate of the [[Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee]] throughout the 2006 campaign,<ref name="arktimes2008?">[http://www.arktimes.com/Articles/ArticleViewer.aspx?ArticleID=6112230d-32a5-4169-9fd8-004c3b4a70dc Clark considering presidential bid] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070114090559/http://www.arktimes.com/Articles/ArticleViewer.aspx?ArticleID=6112230d-32a5-4169-9fd8-004c3b4a70dc |date=14 January 2007 }} by the ''Arkansas Times'' Staff for the ''[[Arkansas Times]]'' on 19 November 2006. Retrieved 31 January 2007.</ref> and sometimes appeared with the leadership of the Democratic Party when they commented on security issues.<ref>[http://securingamerica.com/node/1420 Democrats&nbsp;– Joined by General Wesley Clark&nbsp;– Release New Report on Bush National Security Failures] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061104124756/http://securingamerica.com/node/1420 |date=4 November 2006 }}</ref><ref>[http://securingamerica.com/node/1471 Democratic Leadership Call for a New Direction on Security] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080516214023/http://securingamerica.com/node/1471 |date=16 May 2008 }}</ref>

Clark has opposed taking military action against [[Iran]] and in January 2007 he criticized what he called "New York money people" pushing for a war. This led to accusations of antisemitism.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.forward.com/articles/top-dem-wesley-clark-says-ny-money-people-pu/ |title=Top Dem Wesley Clark Says: 'N.Y. Money People' Pushing War With Iran|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070114181653/http://www.forward.com/articles/top-dem-wesley-clark-says-ny-money-people-pu/|archive-date=14 January 2007}}</ref>

In September 2007 Clark's memoir ''A Time to Lead: For Duty, Honor and Country''. In the book Clark alleged that during a visit to the Pentagon in the autumn of 2001 after 9/11, a "senior general" told him that the [[Office of the Secretary of Defense]] had produced a confidential paper proposing a series of [[regime change]] operations in seven countries over a period of five years. He had made the allegation a number of times in public and media appearances in 2006 and 2007. The book also described a conversation Clark had with [[Paul Wolfowitz]] in May 1991 after the Gulf War, quoting Wolfowitz as lamenting the non-removal of Saddam Hussein, but also telling him that "...we did learn one thing that's very important. With the end of the Cold War, we can now use our military with impunity. The Soviets won't come in to block us. And we've got five, maybe 10, years to clean up these old Soviet surrogate regimes like Iraq and Syria before the next superpower emerges to challenge us...".<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.salon.com/2007/10/12/wesley_clark/|title=Seven countries in five years |last=Conason |first=Joe|author-link=Joe Conason |date=12 October 2007|website=[[Salon (website)|Salon]]|access-date=20 January 2017}}</ref>

Clark serves on the Advisory Boards of the [[Global Panel Foundation]] and the [[National Security Network]]. He is also the chairman of Enverra,<ref>Wesley Clark's LinkedIn profile. [https://www.linkedin.com/in/weclark/]. Retrieved 19 April 2018.</ref> and was also chairman of [[Rodman & Renshaw]], a New York investment bank,<ref>Rodman & Renshaw (2009). [http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=122722&p=irol-govboard Board of Directors]. Retrieved 16 October 2009.</ref> and Growth Energy.<ref name="GrowthPress">{{cite news|date=5 February 2009|title=General Wesley Clark Announced as Growth Energy Co-Chairman|publisher=Growth Energy|url=http://www.growthenergy.org/2009/news/showItem.asp?id=17|access-date=8 May 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090212220918/http://growthenergy.org/2009/news/showItem.asp?id=17 <!--Added by H3llBot-->|archive-date=12 February 2009}}</ref> His chairmanship at Rodman & Renshaw is part of the documentary [[The China Hustle]]. Clark is interviewed about his involvement in selling toxic stocks of unregulated Chinese companies; eventually though, he exits the interview to avoid association with Rodman & Renshaw, which went bankrupt in 2013.<ref>Direct Markets Holdings Files to Liquidate. 
 Retrieved 4 May 2022.  [https://www.reuters.com/article/directmarkets-bankruptcy/direct-markets-holdings-files-to-liquidate-idUSL4N0AJ7CL20130114]</ref> The film speculates that the company used his name as chairman to gain legitimacy for its operations.<ref>{{Cite magazine|url=https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2018/03/china-hustle-documentary-financial-crisis-scandal-director-interview|title=The China Hustle Unveils the Biggest Financial Scandal You've Never Heard Of|magazine=Vanity Fair|date=28 March 2018|access-date=30 September 2019}}</ref>

===Tiversa===
In July 2007, Clark testified before the [[United States House Committee on Oversight and Accountability]] about the discovery of classified information on file-sharing networks by the cybersecurity firm [[Tiversa]], where he served on the board of advisers.<ref>{{cite web | title=Advisors | accessdate=1 April 2023 | url=http://www.tiversa.com/about/advisors.html | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070701231255/http://www.tiversa.com/about/advisors.html | archive-date=1 July 2007 | url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite news | last=Rugaber | first=Christopher | title=House panel scrutinizes threats of file-sharing | date=24 July 2007 | url=https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna19936935 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210924011612/https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna19936935 | url-status=dead | archive-date=24 September 2021 | publisher=NBC News | quote="The American people would be totally outraged if they were aware of what is inadvertently shared ... by government agencies," said retired Gen. Wesley Clark, who is on the advisory board of Tiversa Inc., a data security company. Clark did not name the defense contractors whose computing passwords were compromised. }}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine | last=Katchadourian | first=Raffa | title=A Cybersecurity Firm's Sharp Rise and Stunning Collapse | date=28 October 2019 | url=https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2019/11/04/a-cybersecurity-firms-sharp-rise-and-stunning-collapse | magazine=[[The New Yorker]] | quote=In 2006, a more significant investor signed on: Adams Capital Management, named for its founder Joel Adams, a Pittsburgh venture capitalist. [...] Adams Capital invested more than four million in Tiversa, and helped secure an all-star board of advisers. Maynard Webb, the former eBay executive and chairman of Yahoo!, joined, and he brought on other executives from Silicon Valley. Howard Schmidt became an adviser, and soon afterward was appointed the cybersecurity czar for the Obama Administration. General Wesley Clark, the former Supreme Allied Commander of nato, came on, and developed a good rapport with Boback, who sold his practice to devote himself to Tiversa full time. }}</ref>

===Speculation of 2008 presidential campaign===
{{See also|2008 Democratic Party presidential primaries|2008 United States presidential election}}
Clark was mentioned as a potential 2008 presidential candidate on the Democratic ticket before endorsing [[Hillary Clinton]] for president.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.armytimes.com/news/2007/09/ap_clarkendorsement_070916/ |title=Retired 4-star endorses Clinton for president&nbsp;– Army News, opinions, editorials, news from Iraq, photos, reports |work=Army Times |date=16 September 2007 |access-date=5 March 2009}}</ref> Before that time, he was ranked within the top Democratic candidates according to some Internet polls.<ref>[http://www.chooseourpresident2008.com/res.html#F Web Poll results]  {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130814041925/http://www.chooseourpresident2008.com/res.html |date=14 August 2013 }} from ChooseOurPresident2008 by Alex Christensen. Retrieved 3 October 2006.</ref><ref>[http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2007/1/16/105611/138 2008 straw poll] by kos for DailyKos on 16 January 2007. Retrieved 26 January 2007.</ref> After endorsing Hillary Clinton, Clark campaigned for her in Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada, and Ohio and in campaign commercials. There are many reports that Clinton had already decided to choose Clark to be her running mate had she won the nomination. The Clinton campaign even considered picking Clark as a running mate with the team running together in the primaries, though the idea was later abandoned.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/11/19/clinton-and-clark-campaign-in-iowa/|title=Clinton and Clark Campaign in Iowa|first=Patrick|last=Healy|date=19 November 2007}}</ref> After Barack Obama secured the Democratic nomination, Clark voiced his support for Obama.<ref name="endorseobama"/> Clark was considered to be one of Obama's possible vice-presidential running mates. Clark, however, publicly endorsed Kansas governor [[Kathleen Sebelius]] for the position, introducing her as "the next Vice President of the United States" at a June 2008 fundraiser in Texas.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://blogs.kansas.com/weblog/2008/06/clark-touts-sebelius-as-vp/ |title=Clark touts Sebelius as VP &#124; Wichita Eagle Blogs |publisher=Blogs.kansas.com |date=4 June 2008 |access-date=15 August 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110721185346/http://blogs.kansas.com/weblog/2008/06/clark-touts-sebelius-as-vp/ |archive-date=21 July 2011 }}</ref> Obama eventually chose [[Joe Biden]] as his running mate.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://edition.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/08/23/biden.democrat.vp.candidate/index.html |title=Obama introduces Biden as running mate |publisher=CNN |date=23 August 2008 |access-date=5 March 2009}}</ref>

===McCain military service controversy===
On 29 June 2008, Clark made comments on ''[[Face the Nation]]'' that were critical of Republican [[John McCain]], calling into question the notion that McCain's military service alone had given him experience relevant to being president. "I certainly honor [McCain's] service as a prisoner of war", Clark said, "but he hasn't held executive responsibility. That large squadron in the Navy that he commanded—it wasn't a wartime squadron. He hasn't been in there and ordered the bombs to fall."<ref>Archived at [https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211212/qRwsk56lN44 Ghostarchive]{{cbignore}} and the [https://web.archive.org/web/20080702181016/http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qRwsk56lN44 Wayback Machine]{{cbignore}}: {{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qRwsk56lN44 |title=TPMtv: Wesley Clark Hyperventorama |via=YouTube |date=1 July 2008 |access-date=5 March 2009}}{{cbignore}}</ref> When moderator [[Bob Schieffer]] noted that Obama had no military experience to prepare him for the presidency nor had he "ridden in a fighter plane and gotten shot down", Clark responded that, ultimately, Obama had not based his presidential bid on his military experience, as McCain has done throughout his campaign. Clark's retort, however, is what drew rebuke. In referring to McCain's military experience, he stated: "Well, I don't think riding in a fighter plane and getting shot down is a qualification to be president."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cjr.org/campaign_desk/attacking_mccains_military_rec.php |title="Attacking" McCain's Military Record |publisher=CJR |access-date=5 March 2009}}</ref> Both the McCain and Obama campaigns subsequently released statements rejecting Clark's comment. However, Clark has received the backing of several prominent liberal groups such as MoveOn.org and military veteran groups such as [[VoteVets.org]]; Obama ultimately stated that Clark's comments were "inartful" and were not intended to attack McCain's military service.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.politico.com/blogs/ben-smith/2008/07/obama-clark-was-inartful-010080 |title=Retrieved July 7, 2008 |work=Politico |date=July 2008 |access-date=5 March 2009}}</ref> In the days following the controversial interview, Clark went on several news programs to reiterate his true admiration and heartfelt support for McCain's military service as a fellow veteran who had been wounded in combat.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://edition.cnn.com/video/#/video/politics/2008/07/01/tsr.intv.clark.cnn?iref=videosearch |title=Retrieved July 8, 2008 |publisher=CNN |date=16 November 2006 |access-date=5 March 2009}}{{dead link|date=May 2025|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nbcnews.com/id/21134540 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130129090138/http://www.nbcnews.com/id/21134540/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=29 January 2013 |title=Retrieved July 8, 2008 |work=NBC News |access-date=5 March 2009}}</ref> In each program, Clark reminded the commentator and the viewing public that while he honored McCain's service, he had serious concerns about McCain's judgment in matters of national security policy, calling McCain "untested and untried".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nbcnews.com/id/21134540 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130129090138/http://www.nbcnews.com/id/21134540/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=29 January 2013 |title=Retrieved July 8, 2008 |work=NBC News |access-date=5 March 2009}}</ref>

===Book on modern wars===
In Clark's book ''Winning Modern Wars'', published in 2003, he describes his conversation with a military officer in the Pentagon shortly after 9/11 regarding a plan to attack seven countries in five years: "As I went back through the Pentagon in November 2001, one of the senior military staff officers had time for a chat. Yes, we were still on track for going against [[Iraq]], he said. But there was more. This was being discussed as part of a five-year campaign plan, he said, and there were a total of seven countries, beginning with [[Iraq]], then [[Syria]], [[Lebanon]], [[Libya]], [[Somalia]], [[Sudan]] and finishing off [[Iran]]."<ref>{{Cite book |last=Clark |first=Wesley K. |url=http://archive.org/details/winningmodernwar00clar |title=Winning modern wars: Iraq, terrorism, and the American empire |publisher=Public Affairs |year=2003 |isbn=978-1-58648-218-3 |location=New York |pages=130}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Steven |first=David |date=2007-07-30 |title=The full, crazy plan |url=https://globaldashboard.org/2007/07/30/the-full-crazy-plan/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110114000026/http://www.globaldashboard.org/2007/07/30/the-full-crazy-plan/ |archive-date=14 January 2011 |access-date=2025-06-15 |website=Global Dashboard |language=en-US }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=2007-10-12|title="Seven countries in five years"|url=https://www.salon.com/2007/10/12/wesley_clark/|access-date=2021-02-20|website=Salon|language=en}}</ref> Clark regards the [[2003 invasion of Iraq]] as "a huge mistake".<ref name=cnbc-20170810>{{cite news |url=https://www.cnbc.com/2017/08/10/us-only-option-on-n-korea-nuclear-threat-wesley-clark-commentary.html |title=The US has only one option on North Korea's nuclear threat now |last=Clark |first=Wesley |publisher=CNBC News |date=10 August 2017 |access-date=11 August 2017}}</ref>

===Paradise Papers===
On 5 November 2017, the [[Paradise Papers]], a set of confidential electronic documents relating to [[offshore investment]], revealed that online gambling company [[The Stars Group]], then Amaya, did business with the offshore law firm [[Appleby (law firm)|Appleby]] while Clark sat on its board of directors.<ref>{{cite news|title=Wesley K. Clark|url=https://offshoreleaks.icij.org/stories/wesley-k-clark|date= November 2017|work=[[International Consortium of Investigative Journalists]]}}</ref><ref>"[http://www.bexpress.com.pk/2017/11/trumps-cabinet-members-amongst-those-named-in-paradise-papers/ Trump's cabinet members amongst those named in Paradise Papers] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171107005018/http://www.bexpress.com.pk/2017/11/trumps-cabinet-members-amongst-those-named-in-paradise-papers/ |date=7 November 2017 }}". ''Daily Balochistan Express''. 6 November 2017.</ref>

===Reality television career===
Clark was the host of ''[[Stars Earn Stripes]]'', a reality television program that aired on NBC for four episodes in 2012. The program followed celebrities who competed in challenges based on U.S. military exercises.

==Awards and honors==
{{See also|List of Wesley Clark awards and honors}}
Wesley Clark has been awarded numerous honors, awards, and knighthoods over the course of his military and civilian career. Notable military awards include the [[Defense Distinguished Service Medal]] with four [[oak leaf cluster]]s, the [[Legion of Merit]] with three oak leaf clusters, the [[Silver Star]], and the [[Bronze Star Medal|Bronze Star]] with an oak leaf cluster.<ref>[http://securingamerica.com/taxonomy/term/81 U.S. Military decorations] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061104083705/http://securingamerica.com/taxonomy/term/81 |date=4 November 2006 }}</ref> Internationally Clark has received numerous civilian honors such as the [[Bundesverdienstkreuz|Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany]] and military honors such as the Grand Cross of the [[Medal of Military Merit (Portugal)|Medal of Military Merit]] from [[Portugal]] and knighthoods.<ref>[http://securingamerica.com/taxonomy/term/82 International honors] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060717030407/http://securingamerica.com/taxonomy/term/82 |date=17 July 2006 }}</ref> Clark has been awarded some honors as a civilian, such as the Golden Plate Award of the [[Academy of Achievement|American Academy of Achievement]] presented by Awards Council member and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General [[John Shalikashvili]], in 1998,<ref>{{cite web|title= Golden Plate Awardees of the American Academy of Achievement |website=www.achievement.org|publisher=[[American Academy of Achievement]]|url=  https://achievement.org/our-history/golden-plate-awards/#public-service}}</ref> and the [[Presidential Medal of Freedom]] in 2000.<ref>[http://securingamerica.com/taxonomy/term/77 Civilian honors] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060717030350/http://securingamerica.com/taxonomy/term/77 |date=17 July 2006 }}</ref> The people of [[Gjakova]], Kosovo, named a street after him for his role in helping their city and country.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.awesclarkdemocrat.com/2006/05/our_heros_welcome_in_kosovo.htm |title=4th image down from |publisher=Awesclarkdemocrat.com |access-date=15 August 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110728172632/http://www.awesclarkdemocrat.com/2006/05/our_heros_welcome_in_kosovo.htm |archive-date=28 July 2011 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://kosovareport.blogspot.com/2006/05/former-nato-commander-retired-gen.html |title=Former NATO commander, retired Gen. Wesley Clark to visit Kosovo |publisher=Kosovareport.blogspot.com |date=24 May 2006 |access-date=15 August 2011}}</ref> The city of [[Madison, Alabama|Madison]] in [[Alabama]] has also named a boulevard after Clark.<ref>[http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=%22wesley+clark+blvd%22+alabama Google search results] containing real estate listings for Wesley Clark Blvd in Madison, Alabama.</ref><ref>[https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna13100686 Transcript] of ''Countdown with Keith Olbermann'' show on NBC News where he mentions road named after Clark in Alabama.</ref> Municipal approval has been granted for the construction of a new street to be named "General Clark Court" in [[Virginia Beach, Virginia]].<ref>[http://securingamerica.com/ccn/node/10918 Announcement] by architect upon completion of negotiations granting municipal approval for construction of "General Clark Court" in Northern Village subsection in Virginia Beach area of the state of Virginia. {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070928000028/http://securingamerica.com/ccn/node/10918 |date=28 September 2007 }}</ref>
He has also been appointed a Fellow at the Burkle Center for International Relations at [[UCLA]]. He is a member of the guiding coalition of the [[Project on National Security Reform]]. In 2000 he was appointed an honorary Knight Commander of the Most Excellent [[Order of the British Empire]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://edition.cnn.com/2013/09/02/us/wesley-clark-fast-facts/index.html|title=Wesley Clark Fast Facts|publisher=CNN|access-date=25 June 2018}}</ref> In 2013, General Clark was awarded the [[Hanno R. Ellenbogen Citizenship Award]] jointly presented by the [[Prague Society for International Cooperation]] and Global Panel Foundation .<ref>

{{cite web|title=List of Hanno R. Ellenbogen Citizenship Award Winners|publisher=Prague Society|url=http://praguesociety.org/content/hre-awards-history-winners-origin|access-date=9 September 2014|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140903124001/http://praguesociety.org/content/hre-awards-history-winners-origin|archive-date=3 September 2014}}</ref>

==Bibliography==
* {{cite book|title=Don't Wait for the Next War: A Strategy for American Growth and Global Leadership|publisher=PublicAffairs|year=2014|location=New York|isbn= 978-1-61039-433-8}}
* {{cite book|title=A Time to Lead: For Duty, Honor and Country|publisher=St Martin's Press|year=2007|isbn=978-1403984746|url=https://archive.org/details/timetoleadfordut00clar}}
* {{cite book|title=Great Generals series|publisher=Palgrave Macmillan|year=2006}} (foreword)
* {{cite book|title=Winning Modern Wars: Iraq, Terrorism, and the American Empire|location=New York|publisher=PublicAffairs|year=2004|isbn=1-58648-277-7|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/winningmodernwar00clar}}
* {{cite book|title=Waging Modern War: Bosnia, Kosovo, and the Future of Combat|publisher=PublicAffairs|year=2001|location=New York|isbn=1-58648-043-X|url=https://archive.org/details/wagingmodernwarb00clar_0}}

==References==
{{reflist|30em}}

==Further reading==
* {{cite book|last=Felix|first=Antonia|year=2004|title=Wesley K. Clark: A Biography|location=New York|publisher=Newmarket Press|isbn=1-55704-625-5|url=https://archive.org/details/wesleykclarkbiog00feli}}

==External links==
{{Sister project links|wikt=no}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20130615110818/http://www.draftwesleyclark.com/ Draft Clark for President (archive only)]
* {{C-SPAN|23802}}
* [http://senate.ontheissues.org/Wesley_Clark.htm Wesley Clark Issue positions and quotes] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190705194133/http://senate.ontheissues.org/Wesley_Clark.htm |date=5 July 2019 }}
* [http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/c/wesley_k_clark/index.html Wesley Clark collected news stories and commentary]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20110716222056/http://www.thebayareaintellect.com/ Wesley Clark Speaks About His New Memoir, War, and the Upcoming Election]
* [http://www.asiasociety.org/video/policy-politics/options-us-policy-burma-complete Video: Wesley Clark discusses Asia Society Task Force Report on US Policy in Burma] at the Asia Society, New York, 7 April 2010
* [https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1453297/?ref_=fn_al_nm_1 Wesley Clark] at [[IMDb]]

{{s-start}}
{{s-mil}}
{{s-bef|before=[[Barry McCaffrey]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=Commander, [[United States Southern Command]]|years=1996–1997}}
{{s-aft|after=[[Charles E. Wilhelm|Charles Wilhelm]]}}
|-
{{s-bef|before=[[George Joulwan]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=[[Supreme Allied Commander Europe]]|years=1997–2000}}
{{s-aft|after=[[Joseph Ralston]]}}
{{s-end}}

{{United States presidential election candidates, 2004}}
{{SACEUR}}
{{SouthComHeads}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Clark, Wesley}}
[[Category:1944 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Alumni of Magdalen College, Oxford]]
[[Category:American chief executives of financial services companies]]
[[Category:United States Army personnel of the Vietnam War]]
[[Category:American people of Belarusian-Jewish descent]]
[[Category:American people of English descent]]
[[Category:American political writers]]
[[Category:American male non-fiction writers]]
[[Category:American Rhodes Scholars]]
[[Category:Arkansas Democrats]]
[[Category:Atlantic Council]]
[[Category:Commanders with Star of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland]]
[[Category:Commanders of the Legion of Honour]]
[[Category:Converts to Roman Catholicism from Baptist denominations]]
[[Category:Grand Crosses 1st class of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany]]
[[Category:Grand Officers of the Military Order of Savoy]]
[[Category:Honorary Knights Commander of the Order of the British Empire]]
[[Category:Knights Grand Cross of the Order of Orange-Nassau]]
[[Category:National War College alumni]]
[[Category:NATO Supreme Allied Commanders]]
[[Category:Officers of the Order of Merit of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg]]
[[Category:Officers of the Ordre national du Mérite]]
[[Category:Order of Duke Trpimir recipients]]
[[Category:People from West Point, New York]]
[[Category:Military personnel from Chicago]]
[[Category:Presidential Medal of Freedom recipients]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Defense Distinguished Service Medal]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Legion of Merit]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Meritorious Service Decoration]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Military Order of the Cross of the Eagle, Class I]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Order of the Lithuanian Grand Duke Gediminas]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Silver Star]]
[[Category:United States Army Command and General Staff College alumni]]
[[Category:United States Army generals]]
[[Category:United States Military Academy alumni]]
[[Category:Candidates in the 2004 United States presidential election]]
[[Category:White House Fellows]]
[[Category:Writers from Chicago]]
[[Category:Catholics from New York (state)]]
[[Category:Catholics from Illinois]]
[[Category:Hall High School (Arkansas) alumni]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Meritorious Service Medal (United States)]]
[[Category:People named in the Paradise Papers]]